Some Netaji relics at Victoria Memorial exhibition fake: Expert

Netaji's grandnephew Sugata Bosehas questioned the authenticity of some relics at an ongoingexhibition at the Victoria Memorial here, commemorating the125th birth anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter.

Bose, also the chairperson of Kolkata-based NetajiResearch Bureau, has written to Victoria Memorial curatorJayanta Sengupta on Saturday, saying the museum authoritieshad never asked for a copy of the letter of freedom fighter'sresignation from the Indian Civil Service.

He urged the Victoria Memorial authorities to''immediately take down the fake copy'' and said ''moreshockingly Netaji Research Bureau is mentioned as the sourcebelow this fake'' item.

The Harvard University professor also claimed theauthentic photocopy of the letter of Netaji's resignation fromthe ICS has been with the bureau for about 50 years.

''You never asked us for Netaji's resignation letter oranything else and we supplied nothing to you directly. SisirKumar Bose and Krishna Bose had found Netaji's original letterof resignation in his own handwriting and signed by him to theSecretary of State for India in the India Office of Records ofLondon in September 1971.

''They obtained an authentic photocopy which waspublished in facsimile for the first time in Krishna Bose'sbook 'Itihaser Sandhane' and has been displayed in the NetajiBhawan for nearly 50 years,'' Bose said in the letter.

''You should also investigate who produced the fakeitem as it is extremely embarrassing that the Prime Ministerof India inaugurated the exhibition with the fake item ondisplay,'' he said.

Bose also asserted that the photographs ''apparentlydisplaying Netaji disguised as Md Ziauddin are also fakes''.

No photographs of Netaji in disguise were taken orallowed to be taken during his ''mahanishkraman'' or the greatescape, the research bureau chief claimed.

''While it appears that the originals of manyphotographs and facsimiles of letters and documents exhibitedby you are indeed from the archives of Netaji Research Bureaucollected with the dedicated effort of more than six decades,Victoria Memorial never contacted NRB to seek help with yourexhibition.

''I am puzzled therefore about the basis on which youhave given acknowledgements,'' Bose mentioned in the letter.

Expressing his disappointment over Victoria Memorial'sconduct in mounting the exhibition, Bose said, ''This is no wayto honour our great leader.'' The Victoria Memorial is under the administrativecontrol of the Union Ministry of Culture.

The curator of the museum could not be contacted forcomment despite several attempts.

No one from the ministry was available for comment.

The Netaji Research Bureau chairperson told PTI onSunday that he has so far not received any response from theVictoria Memorial authorities on the issue.

'Nirbhik Subhas'(Irrepressible Subhas), a multimediaexhibition, celebrating the 125th birth anniversary of Netajibegan at the Victoria Memorial for the public from January 28.

''The exhibition contains 125 stories on Netaji incelebration of his 125th birth anniversary,'' the museumauthorities had earlier said.

''These stories are shared through 125 originalartefacts, pictures, replicas and objects sourced from acrossthe world, making the viewer reflect on Netaji's ideals andbeliefs in contemporary times,'' it added.